BATON ROUGE – The LSU Track & Field program held its third-annual Team Awards and Alumni Recognition Banquet on Friday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, in which 16 student-athletes received awards for their performance in competition, in the classroom and in the community.
The LSU Track & Field Team Awards and Alumni Recognition Banquet has been established to not only recognize the current members of the program for their performance in the past year, but also honor those alumni who have laid the foundation of success still enjoyed by the program today.
Athletes, coaches, administrators, family and alumni were in attendance in celebration of the great history and tradition of the nation’s premier combined program in all of collegiate track and field.
Among those in attendance at Friday’s banquet were five inductees of the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame for a representation of five decades of LSU Track & Field. That includes Harry Carpenter (1954-57), Billy Hardin (1962-64), Delmon McNabb (1965-66), Eric Reid (1984-87) and Schowonda Williams (1985-88).
Also attending Friday’s banquet ceremony was the great Billy Cannon, who not only led the Tigers to the 1958 national championship and was awarded the 1959 Heisman Trophy for his performance as one of the all-time great players in the history of college football, but also captured the 1958 SEC Championship in the 100-yard dash during his career as a member of the LSU Track & Field team.
Awards were presented to current members of the team for their outstanding performance during the 2011 outdoor, 2011 cross country and 2012 indoor seasons in leading the Tigers and Lady Tigers.
“What a tremendous celebration of everything our program stands for here at LSU,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “We are proud to continue this tradition each year, and are excited with the representation we saw again this year. We just want to thank everyone who helped put this event together this year as we strive to host one of the unique events in our sport. This has really been a lot of fun for us.
“It’s very exciting any time you have men like Billy Cannon and other great alums come back and join us for what has become an annual event. These are some of the biggest names in all of college sports and not just LSU athletics. We’re proud for them to come back and take part in this great celebration.”
The awards portion of the banquet proceeding was capped by senior Barrett Nugent and junior Kimberlyn Duncan taking home the Most Outstanding Performer of the Year awards.
Duncan was named the winner of the Most Outstanding Female Performer of the Year for the second year in a row as she also took home the honor as a sophomore in 2011.
Duncan, who was named a Bowerman Award finalist a year ago, earned distinction as the top point scorer at the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She set the low-altitude collegiate record of 22.24 seconds in winning the women’s 200-meter dash gold medal, while also anchoring the Lady Tigers to a national championship in the 4×100-meter relay and finishing as the NCAA runner-up in the 100 meters to score 20.5 points during the meet held in Des Moines, Iowa.
A native of Katy, Texas, Duncan picked up right where she left off during the 2012 indoor season earning her second-straight NCAA Indoor title in the 200-meter dash. She has now had 14-straight collegiate wins in the 200-meter dash as one of the more dominant performers in collegiate history in the event.
Not only was Duncan named the Most Outstanding Female Performer of the Year, but she also took home the Most Outstanding Female Track Athlete Award for the second year in a row.
Nugent was awarded The Glenn “Slats” Hardin Award honoring the Most Outstanding Male Performer of the Year after being crowned the NCAA Champion in the 110-meter hurdles a season ago.
The Glenn “Slats” Hardin Award is named in honor of the greatest track and field athlete to ever compete for the LSU program. Hardin was a four-time NCAA champion and six-time All-American during his brilliant career at LSU from 1933-35. Hardin was a member of LSU’s first national championship team in 1933, where he captured individual titles in the 440-yard dash and 220-yard low hurdles.
Glenn “Slats” Hardin is a true American track and field legend as he was the world’s premier 400 hurdler in the first half of the 20th century. He set the world record in the event three times during his career, with his best of 50.6 standing as the world record for 19 years from 1934-53.
After winning a silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif., Hardin won the gold at the infamous 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. He remains the only LSU track and field athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event.
Nugent is a deserving recipient of The Glenn “Slats” Hardin Award this season after capturing the NCAA title in the 110-meter hurdles along with an SEC title and three All-America honors in the past year.
A native of Maurice, La., Nugent became the first LSU Tiger in 23 seasons to win the NCAA 110 hurdles title with his victory at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships following a successful defense of his SEC Outdoor title in the event. He also led off LSU’s 4×100-meter relay squad that achieved All-America status with a fourth-place finish at the national meet a season ago.
Nugent then broke his own school record in the 60-meter hurdles in an All-American performance during the 2012 indoor season as he won the NCAA Indoor bronze medal in the event with a personal-record run of 7.55 at the NCAA Indoor Championships held in Nampa, Idaho, back in March.
In addition to his selection as the recipient of this year’s Glenn “Slats” Hardin Award, Nugent claimed his Eye of the Tiger Award and Most Outstanding Male Track Athlete Award on the evening.
Award Winners at the LSU Track & Field Team Awards and Alumni Recognition Banquet
Note: Awards listed in order received.
Newcomer of the Year
Criteria: NCAA and/or SEC scorer; Individual who made great impact on team performance; Demonstrated performance improvement throughout the year, particularly the championship meets.
Male – Riker Hylton
Female – Semoy Hackett
Cross Country Runner of the Year
Criteria: Reported to fall camp in excellent fitness from summer training program; Was consistently a top performing runner during the regular season and championship meets; Participated in the SEC and Regional Cross Country Championship meets.
Male – Cullen Doody
Female – Leigh-Ann Naccari
Academic/Athletic Accomplishment Award
Criteria: Combined both high academic and high athletic performance; Utilized the many academic and athletic resources provided by the LSU Athletic Department; NCAA and/or SEC competitor.
Male (The Kenner Day Award) – Michael Lauro
Female – Laura Carleton
Most Improved Athlete Award
Criteria: Individual elevated their daily training efforts; Competition performance showed consistent improvement; Demonstrated dedication to athletic improvement.
Male – Damar Forbes, Caleb Williams
Female – Denise Hinton
Community Service Award
Criteria: Individual is active in community service activities; Logged most community service hours through the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program; Demonstrated dedication to athletic improvement.
Male (The Kirt Bennett Award) – Brandon Gordon
Female – Katie Carroll
Most Outstanding Field Athlete Award
Criteria: NCAA and/or SEC scorer; Exhibited event group leadership qualities; Demonstrated excellent work habits and motivation to improve.
Male – Damar Forbes
Female – Brittani Carter
Most Outstanding Track Athlete Award
Criteria: NCAA and/or SEC scorer; Exhibited event group leadership qualities; Demonstrated excellent work habits and motivation to improve.
Male – Barrett Nugent
Female – Kimberlyn Duncan
Academic Achievement Award
Criteria: Achieved the highest GPA during the previous two semesters; Completed a minimum of 24 degree credit hours; Participated in a minimum of six competitions during the year.
Male – Cullen Doody
Female – Laura Carleton
Eye of the Tiger Award
Criteria: Demonstrated a fierce competitive attitude; Displayed an attitude which positively affects teammates; Possessed a relentless desire to improve their performance.
Male – Charlene Lipsey
Female – Barrett Nugent
LSU L Club Team Captain Award
Criteria: Senior who was an NCAA participant; Demonstrated team leadership characteristics; Strived for excellence athletically, academically and in community service.
Male – Michael Lauro
Female – Melissa Ogbourne
Most Outstanding Female Performer Award
Criteria: NCAA scorer; Performed consistently throughout the season(s); Displayed a positive attitude and team leadership behavior.
Kimberlyn Duncan
The Glenn “Slats” Hardin Award
Criteria: NCAA scorer; Performed consistently throughout the season(s); Displayed a positive attitude and team leadership behavior.
Barrett Nugent